


Lost Scales

by evenstar8705



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Bajorans, Body Dysphoria, Cardassians, Gen, Identity Issues, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29293065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evenstar8705/pseuds/evenstar8705
Summary: Iliana reacts to her new body after surgical transformation from a Cardassian to a Bajoran.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Lost Scales

Iliana studied herself in the full length body mirror. She was fresh from the surgical wing and now she was altered from a proud Cardassian into an inferior Bajoran. It wasn’t by choice. She had been assigned an undercover mission to infiltrate the terrorists operating on Bajor. She had been honored to be chosen for such a challenging assignment.

Looking in the mirror, however, made her doubt everything. Why did Tain recruit her in the first place? She scored high on all the tests and proved she was better at improvisation and could think on her feet better than the other candidates. It supposedly was a rare trait and made up for her lack of experience. 

Was it actually a slight that they all thought she could pose as a terrorist? Had she shown an unacceptable amount of emotion? Was this a punishment or test? What if she failed? She mentored under Entek who was considered a model agent and he seemed to have faith in her but still...

“If it makes you feel better, the subject you are impersonating is considered quite a beauty according to racial standards,” Entek greedily drank in the sight of her.

She rolled her eyes, “Bajoran standards!”

“It’s acceptable by my standards.”

She glared at her mentor with disgust and horror, “Boy, it sure is easy to fool a man isn’t it?”

“Use that to your advantage, sister!” Entek grinned with bemusement. “Especially with those Bajoran men. Pillow talk is undeniably one of the most effective ways to gain information.”

“I am an agent, not a whore!” Iliana shook her head.

“Your body is a tool. Besides maybe you’ll enjoy seducing a boy? I intimidate you too much.”

“You apparently find Bajorans attractive, you have no standards! You officially lost all my respect!”

He laughed jovially at the jab.

He moved so close she could feel the hot breath from his mouth. There were small hairs on her neck instead of her much more sensitive scales. That move alone might have turned her on before but now it just barely tickled. She’d lost sensation! 

She had sensed Entek desired her. There had been some tension during her training. Neither made any real moves and she saw it as opportunity to sharpen her skills to play off a man’s instinct. She would gain nothing from sleeping with him and agents were supposed to focus on their missions and duty to Cardassia. Of course Entek didn’t want a mate just some entertainment. She had better things to do with her time.

Her hair was converted from treasured ebony black to a russet and ratty red nest! Her skin seemed ghostly pale instead of the gray ideal of her people. She looked sick and thin. Her scales were stripped from her head to toes and she had more elaborate and beautiful scales and ridges than most females.

“You are a pretty girl if only you took proper care of yourself and acted just a bit more like a girl!” She remembered her mother saying when she was young.

“I want to be more than your little girl!” Was her defiant reply.

She pursued subjects her mother disapproved of evermore. Instead of art she delved into academics and sports. She applied to the military academies and scoffed at her mother’s work. To her mind art was simply overrated aesthetics, pretty objects and pictures that serves no useful purpose. As much as she loved her mother she idolized her father instead. He was of Central Command. She knew she was born to high society and privilege and wanted to give back! 

Nothing gave her more pleasure than the grand parades through the capital. The anthem of Cardassia was the only music she cared to listen to and sing. She perfected the salute before she learned to properly walk and then she mastered marching. Patriotism pounded in her veins and blood.

If she was dragged to night clubs with her peers she bought drinks for the soldiers without drinking herself. She begged for interviews if she chanced upon Glinns or Guls. When her father invited his war hero friends for dinner parties she sat near absorbing all their tales of campaigns and victories. They thought her enthusiasm was adorable!

For some reason, her father was troubled. He refused to speak of his personal experience. He tried to shelter her especially after his wife and her mother died. She knew he must have seen glorious things and after she proved herself to him he would finally share those memories and secrets with her.

When her mother died unexpectedly, she grieved of course but refused to show it. Her father accused her of being heartless but her reaction impressed someone. Her dream of serving Cardassia was coming true! She should be bursting with happiness at this moment. She had never been vain. She was prepared to give her life for the Order and Cardassia! 

So why did she feel so wildly the opposite? She could still recognize some of her unique features in the imposter in the mirrors eyes. It was just enough to torment her. Her eyes were unchanged as were major characteristics of her face. Whoever the agent she was posing as was happened to be her alien doppelgänger. 

That’s what this body was: Alien. Before she opened the robe to see everything she made Entek turn his back. If she heard his juvenile laughter she would explode with wrath, or far worse, with tears. She had never wept in front of these agents or strangers and didn’t want to start now. She had seen anatomy pictures of Bajoran women but that didn’t prepare her. 

There was hair and soft tissues in place of her usual scales and tough skin near her genitals. There wasn’t a scale in sight! Her breasts looked all wrong! They looked so squishy and flimsy. They looked to her like odd shaped balls of skin flaps and fat. She had to bite her lip to keep tears at bay. She looked like a frail monster! A strong breath of wind could knock her over! 

My scales! She was devastated! Why did I never appreciate what I had? This isn’t my body! This is a travesty! I can’t live with this body! I never imagined the price would be this high! Where were her ridges and scales that gave her character and strength? 

She closed the robe and couldn’t look Entek in the eye. She never wanted to look at this ugly deformed body again. Maybe the surgeon made a mistake and the body was half done? Weren’t the breasts at least supposed to be more full?

“The hair color is exotic!” Entek told her. Did he sense her despair? Did part of him care?

“So are tree stumps!” 

“You are changed only in body. You will always be a Cardassian in mind and spirit. No surgeon can rob you of that. Nothing will. After you complete this mission with success, you will be restored to your former self perfectly. I promise this is temporary.”

Iliana stared at him with suspicion. He stopped taunting and walked away leaving her alone with the new Iliana. Why did she have a bad feeling his promise was empty?

Part of her knew in her bones that she would never get her body back the same way. She burst into tears when she was convinced she was truly alone and felt the tears would choke her. 

She forced herself to touch the tender soft excuse for skin and mourned her scales. They were lost and next she would indeed lose her identity itself. Soon she would be conditioned not to know who Iliana Ghemor was. 

I signed up for this! I knew this was utterly necessary! Why would I give anything to have my scales back now?


End file.
